Miami Assistant Gets Colorado State Job

University of Miami defensive coordinator Sonny Lubick became football coach at Colorado State on Monday, succeeding Earle Bruce, who was fired amid controversy last month.

Lubick, 55, signed a five-year contract that will pay him a base salary of $100,000 annually.

Lubick returns to the school where he was offensive coordinator from 1982-84. He previously was both an assistant and head coach at Montana State. After leaving Colorado State, he was an assistant at Stanford before moving to Miami in 1989.

The Hurricanes won national championships in 1989 and 1991, and in both of those years were ranked first nationally in most defensive categories.

Lubick will remain at Miami through the Sugar Bowl, in which the top-ranked Hurricanes will play No. 2 Alabama for the national championship. He will, however, do some recruiting by telephone for Colorado State as well as contact potential assistants in the next two weeks.

Bruce was fired on Nov. 23 for allegedly violating NCAA rules and abusing players. Bruce had threatened legal action because he had two years left on his contract, but the sides reached a settlement last week that will pay him $110,000 in salary and benefits.